Act 16 in Bulgaria: the permit to use a building
In Bulgaria a building is not finished when the concrete is done. Its fitness to be handed over and used is certified through a numbered series of acts, and the document commonly called Act 16 sits at the end of that chain: it means the building may lawfully be used. The most common mistake foreign buyers make with new construction is signing without knowing which link of the chain the building has reached.
Real estate · Last reviewed: 2026-08-23
Why the acts are numbered
Bulgarian planning law does not reduce construction to a single moment of completion. The structural shell, the installations, the handover and the fitness for use are certified separately, and each act binds different parties — some sit between contractor and developer, others belong to administrative supervision. That is why a seller saying the paperwork is in order proves nothing; the question is which document exists.
Act 15 and Act 16 are different things
| Act 15 | Act 16 / permit to use | |
|---|---|---|
| What it certifies | That the building can be accepted by the developer | That the building is fit to be used |
| Between whom | Contractor, developer and supervision | Administration and the owner of the works |
| Consequence | Handover and usually a payment instalment | Lawful use and utility accounts |
| For the buyer | The building may look ready while the procedure is not | The building may lawfully be occupied |
Who issues the permit
- Competence follows the category of the works: for some buildings it lies with national construction supervision, for others with the municipality.
- The category depends on the type and scale of the works, so a residential block, a small extension and an infrastructure facility do not follow the same route.
- Cadastral recording runs in parallel: until the building and the individual units appear in the cadastral map, the file remains incomplete.
- Electricity, water and gas providers ask for the permit to use; without it permanent accounts are usually not opened.
The order of checks for new build
Ask in writing which stage the works have reached
Instead of a verbal assurance, request which acts have been drawn up and on what dates. The stage also drives the payment schedule in your contract.Check the cadastre
Use the services of the cadastre agency to see whether the building and your specific unit are recorded. If they are not, ask the seller why.Put the obligation in the contract
Where the sale precedes the permit, the duty to obtain it and the consequences of delay belong in the contract in express terms.Leave utilities and address registration until last
Before the procedure closes, accounts and address registration tend to stall; waiting costs less than forcing the sequence.
No deadlines or fees are quoted here
This is not legal or financial advice
Frequently asked questions
Can I move into a flat without a permit to use?
The property is not treated as lawfully usable, and utility accounts and address registration stall. Physically moving in does not cure the missing procedure.
How do I verify a claim that Act 16 has been issued?
Ask for the document itself with its date and check the cadastral record of the building. Verifying against a document prevents most later disputes.
Is buying off-plan prohibited?
No, but the allocation of risk differs. In such deals the payment schedule, the handover and the duty to obtain the permit should be spelled out in the contract.
Sources
The information on this page is based on the official sources listed below. Legislation changes — open the links and verify the current position.
- Министерство на регионалното развитие и благоустройството (МРРБ) — https://www.mrrb.government.bg/ · 2026-08-23
- Закон за устройство на територията — lex.bg — https://lex.bg/ · 2026-08-23
- Агенция по геодезия, картография и кадастър (АГКК) — https://www.cadastre.bg/ · 2026-08-23
- Столична община — административни услуги — https://www.sofia.bg/ · 2026-08-23
- Единен портал за електронни административни услуги (egov.bg) — https://egov.bg/ · 2026-08-23
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